Top 10 of the places to visit and things to do in Madeira

Located 1h30 from Lisbon, the island of Madeira has a very pleasant subtropical climate and is a place where you’ll have the opportunity to discover the most amazing landscapes. Of the things to do in Portugal, know that visiting the island of Madeira is perfect for you – you’ll soon realize that there are so many things to do in Madeira that you can’t do anywhere else.

In addition to its incredible beauty, the island will offer you its great wine, its wonderful gastronomy, its traditions and much more.

Here is my top 10 of things to do in Madeira and places you should visit

Information: at the bottom of the article, you will find my tips to better prepare your visit to Madeira (accommodation, restaurants, transportation).

1. Pico Ruivo

One of the first things to do in Madeira should be visiting Pico Ruivo. With its 1862 metres, Pico Ruivo is the highest point in the island of Madeira and the third highest peak in Portugal, after Ponta do Pico (in the Azores) and Torre (Serra da Estrela).

To get to Pico Ruivo you’ll have to take a walking route. My suggestion is that you take the one connecting Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo (2.8 km). You should take this walking route because it’s easy and because you’ll have the opportunity to admire the landscape and even get close to the sky.

Although this path is accessible to everyone, you’ll have to climb 300 metres from the starting point (Achada do Teixeira) and Pico Ruivo – on average, it takes 1h30m to conclude this route. Don’t hesitate to stop whenever you want to take some photos of this wonderful walking route.

3. Funchal

Another of the things to do in Madeira is visiting its capital. With over 100 000 inhabitants, Funchal is the biggest city in Madeira. It’s a modern city but, at the same time, it kept an authentic historic centre that will amaze you.

Funchal is most known for its handicrafts, the wine and the pleasant weather. Aside from the amazing historic centre, where you can visit the Sacred Art Museum, the Blandy cellars, the Mercado dos Lavradores, the city will also offer you one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, a surprising means of transportation and, of course, friendly and welcoming people.

5. Cristo Rei Viewpoint

Among the things to do in Madeira, you should definitely visit Ponta do Garajau. There you’ll find the statue of Cristo Rei deGarajau, carved by Georges Serraz in 1927 and you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the amazing view over the ocean.

On the left side of the statue you’ll find a walking route that leads to Ponta do Garajau. Get ready! When you start walking down the path, you’ll feel like you’re entering the sea but don’t be afraid and go all the way down so you can admire this wonderful show.

Location: Estrada Nova de Cristo Rei, Caniço

GPS: N 32 38.421 W 16 51.083

6. Ponta de São Lourenço

Ponta de São Lourenço is a place very different from the rest of the island. You’ll find a wild peninsula with underbrush, where trees are inexistent (except for some palm trees). A beautiful 8 km (total, both ways) walking path will give you the opportunity to stroll through the astonishing Ponta de São Lourenço.

7. Curral das Freiras

Curral das Freiras is a small village at the valley of several mountains with the particularity of having been secluded from the rest of the world up until 1959 – it was when the first road connecting the village to the rest of the island was built.

When you look up, you’ll feel like an insect at the bottom of those amazing volcanic mountains.

8. Porto Moniz

Porto Moniz is a small village located northwest of the island, famous for its natural volcanic pools, much appreciated by tourists. After a swim, you should visit the Fort of São João Batista (1730) where you’ll find the small Madeira Aquarium.

9. Going for a walk in a Levada

When I visited the island of Madeira, the first thing I did was going for a walk in a trail in Levada das 25 fontes,a path that you should do if you want to see beautiful waterfalls and lush vegetation of great beauty. Surely there are many things to do in Madeira but you shouldn’t skip this one.

This vegetation will gradually change as you get close to the end of the walking route. At this point, you’ll find a lagoon created by small waterfalls – this levada was named after these waterfalls.

29 Madeira Hostel is located in a renewed historic building in the centre of Funchal. This hostel, with affordable accommodations, is 3 floors high with mixed dorms and furnished according to local and traditional handicrafts. Guests that prefer more privacy can stay in double or single rooms.

I had the privilege to sleep in the apartment Formosa do Artur, located next to Formosa beach and just 5 km from Funchal historic centre. It’s a modern apartment located in an area with a pool. It’s perfect for those who enjoy peace and quiet and with everything you need just minutes away (restaurants, shopping centre, beach). They can give you suggestions on the many things to do in Madeira.

If you don’t have an account on Airbnb, by clicking this linkyou’ll get an 18£ discount on your first reservation and, at the same time, I’ll earn 18£ for my next trip.

Apartamentos Santa Maria offer its guests modern accommodations right in the historic centre of Funchal. Here, you’ll stay in modern studios and apartments with air-conditioning, a living room with sofas, a flat screen cable television, a dining room and a private bathroom with natural light.

Information

Price: 60 €/night, studio for 2 people or 70 €/night, apartment for 4 people

Located in a place that exists since 1920, Porto Bay Serra Golf is surrounded by gardens and offers its guests direct access to Santo da Serra Golf Course. A heated interior pool, a sauna and a massage room are available as well.

The only way to get to the island of Madeira is by plane. The airlines that offer direct flights to Funchal are: Transavia, TAP, Easyjet (from Porto), TAP, Easyjet (from Lisbon), SATA (from Faro and Ponta Delgada).

The flight from the different airports to Funchal takes about 2 hours.

Getting around the island of Madeira

The island has a good public transportation network but my suggestion is that you rent a car, which should be one of the first things to do in Madeira. This way, you’ll have the opportunity to move around more freely and stop at amazing places that don’t have a bus stop.

Useful information: when you rent a car, avoid renting the cheapest segment (Fiat Panda, Nissan Micra) – roads in some areas of Madeira are steep (mountain roads) so you may need a better car.

My suggestion is that you rent the next segment (Seat Leon, Polo), but don’t listen to the rent a car companies – they’ll try to lease the most expensive car (Nissan Qashqai).

When you get your car at Funchal airport, they’ll try to convince you to deliver the car with an empty tank so you can save time (one of their arguments).

You should refuse that because the price for a full tank in a rent-a-car company is much higher than in the normal gas stations and you should have no problem in finding one on your way to the airport.

If you don’t want to rent a car while visiting Madeira, you can go to local companies and ask for the different tours around the island. Prices are around 44 € per day.

Are you going to visit Madeira? Then don’t hesitate to book your hotel room, your car or the best activities by clicking the links below. This way you are helping me in the development of my blog and I’ll be able to offer you free tips and travel guidesso that you can better prepare your visit to Portugal.Thank you!

About The Author

Tiago, 31 years old, Parisian for 18 years, I decided to go on an adventure and make my dream come true: get to know our country from one end to the other. I believe that if we don’t know our origins we don’t truly know ourselves. Read more here